If you took a survey of 10 random people and asked them if they thought airline pilots made a very good living in terms of conditions and salary, I bet 7 or 8 out of the 10 would say yes. My point is that there is still this perception among the general public that the pilot is a very lucrative career (job). This perception is far more common than the reality of the situation. It is this perception that will keep on lowering the bar in terms of this being a respectable profession. Sad but true